Water-gage.



S. NEUTRA.

,WATER GAGE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

IntnIED STATES rETENroEEIcE.

sIEeERIED NEUTRA, or VIENNA, AUsTRI-EUNGAEY, AssIeNoE To WILHELM KAUEMANN,

\ or VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. l

WATER-GAGE.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 29, y190s.

, v I Application filed March 24, 1908. Serial No. 422,947.

My invention relates to improvements 'water-gages and particularlyv to that type of water-gages in which av iioat in the gage- I glass is provided with a spindle adapted to close anelectric circuit for indicating when "the water in the steam-boiler reaches its lowwater level. l

An object of my invention is to provide a water-gage of the type just described which willbe simple in constructibn, comparatively cheap inmanufacture, and eicient, certain and durable in use. A l' In the drawings illustrating the-principle 'ofmy inventionand .the bestrnode now known to yIne of applying that principle,

a Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of water-'gage made in accordance with my in-\ vention; and Fig.2 shows in side-view the blow-oit cock. i

Within the gage-glass or tube`1 a float 2 is arranged and supports a spindle Aby'which metal disks 4 are carried. When thewater vin, the boiler reaches its permissible loww'ater level, these metal disks ,4 are brought into electrical connection with two contacts .f5 and 6 Whichare fitted in a sleeve 7 consist- Y ing of insulating material, for example, of porcelain. These contacts 5,' 6 arennserted in thecircuit of an electrical signal device by means of lead wires (Fig. 1). As long as the disks 4 lie above the contacts and 6, the circuit is interrupted;and this circuit is closed automatically only when the water level in the tube l has fallen to low-waterv mark. The annular shape of the disksV 4 insures that the apparatus will operate, even if the float turns around its axis.-

-For the purpose of guiding in its vertical movement the spindle 3, which is of a light material or shaped as a small tube, a housing 8 is connected with-the union or sleeve 7; and in the upper and more narrow portion of the housing 8, is slidably litteda tube 9 which may be shifted longitudinally, A coil-sprinv l0 bearing at one end against a cap 11 ofheat-insulating'material and at its J other end against the'top of thehousing 8, maintains the tube 9, in the position illustrated in the drawing."l

The cap 11 serves also as a thumb-piece. in

4 pressing-'inwardly the `tube 9 tobring its upper closed, end against the top of the spindle 3 which is thereby forced. down until the disks ,4 and the contacts 5 and 6 are broughtlinto electrical connection. In this vway signals may be given at will and the contact-device may also be tested as to its being in working'order., .Sincesuchsignal devices have as an' object not only 'to warn the Workman at the boiler that .the latter requires water, but also to enable the-superintendent of the plantito assure himself of the efficiency of the workman, it is necessary` that the `latter should be prevented from disconnecting the signal device during its normal working. This result issometimes accomplished by makingthe contacts' in the water-gage inaccessible from outside,'and by omitting the "installation .of cut-outs in the boiler` house.l This arrangement has the disadvantage tlat every time the gages are to be blown through, the oat falls Into the lowest position and closes the signal circuit andthe signal device is unnecessarily brught into action; and the boilerv attendant, before blowing' through the gage, has to' advise the superintendent' of his proposed action, so that the latter `may anticipate the signal and may, if he wishes, cut the signal device out j for the time being.- This disadvantage-is overcome by the 'present invention by pro-I viding one of the cocks, preferably the blowoff cock of the water-gage, with a switch device, which in turning the cock closes and interrupts thesignal circuit. .The blow-oftl cock to ether with the switch will be closed, when te water-gage is normally workin-lg; t e

andthe circuit will be interrupted, when gage is opened for the purpose of being y blown through.

The casing of the blow-olf cock 12 is provided with an enlargement 13 (see also Fig. 2) upon which two' strips 14, 15 of conducting material, say, copper, Aare fastened. Between these two strips areV adapted to be moved the ends of two other conducting strips 16 `rigidly *connectedl tothe rotatable4 plug of the cock in such a manner as to bring the4 strips 14 and 15 into electrical connection, when theblow-oii cock closed: This connectionis broken when the blow-oit'cock is opened. Each of the strips 11 and l5 is provided with a binding-screw 17, 1S for fastening the. circuit Wires.

The circuit is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1. In circuit with the source of current, as the battery 19, is an 'electric 'signalbell 2O `of any suitable construction. The circuit next leads to the strip 15, from the strip 14: to the contact 5 and from the contact 6 back to the battery 19. It the blow-ctip cocklQ is closed and the contacts 5 and G are electrically connected by means of the disks 4, the circuit is closed and the signal bell rings`.` If the disks 4 are raised from the contacts 5, 6 the circuit is interrupted and no signal is given, showing there is water enough in the boiler.

If steam is to be blown through the gage, the steam-cock 21 is opened, the water-cock 22 is closed and the normally-closed blow-ott cock 12 is opened, whereby the strips 16 are disconnected from the strips 14, 15, so that the circuit is broken, although the connection between contacts 5 and 6 by means of the disks 4 is effected by the action of the lsteam pushing downward the float 2. It is obvious that in' this manner the signal device is brought into action only when the water in the boiler has fallen to its lowest permissible level and that no signal is given 1n blowing through the water-gage, no feeding of the boiler` being required. In case the waterlevel for want ot attention should have fallen so low thata signa-l is given and the workman should then open-the cock of the watergage to interrupt the signal circuit, pretending that he wished to blow through the gage', the superintendent cannot be deceived, because a signal is never given in advance ot` blowing through the water-gage.

It will be understood that the housing S and sleeve-or union 7 comprise parts of the casing of the water-gage shown in Fic; 1.

The details of construction of the herein before -described device may be varied, it desired, in different ways without depart-ing from the spirit of my invention. y Y

What I claim is: y

1. In a water gage, .the combination with a source ot electric current; of a signal device connected with said source; a casing having a part thereof acting as a testing device and provided with a pair ot contacts connected with said 'source of electric current and separated from each other electrically by a gap; and a buoyant make-andbreakdevice mounted within said casing;-

said testing device being accessible from withoutsaid casing and manually operable to torce said make-and-break device into lelectrical connection with said contacts to bridge electrically the gap therebetween.

2. In a water gage, the combination with tween the latter,

a source of electric current; of a signal device connected frith said source; a casing provided with a pair of contacts connected with said source of electr-ic current and separated from each other electrically by a gap; and a buoyant spindle mounted within said casing and provided with a disk adapted to bridge electrically the gap between said contacts, said spindle being accessible forinanual control to force sai-d disk against said contacts.

In a water gage, the combination with a source of electric current; ot' a signal device connected with said source; a casing having a part thereof acting as a testing' device and providedl with a pair of contacts connected with said source and separated from each other electrically by a gap; and a buoyant spindle provided with a conductor adapted to bridge electrically the gap be- `tween said contacts; said testing device said spindle and thereby to torce said conductor into electrical connection with said contacts to` bridge electrically the gapV be- 4.1In a water gage, a source of electric-current; of a signal device connected with said source; a casing having a part thercotl acting, as a tubular testing device and providedwith a pair of contacts, the latter being connected with said source and beingseparated from each other electrically by a gap;and a buoyant. spindle provided with aI conductor adapted to bridge electrically the gap between said contacts` and extending into said tubular testing de vice; the latter being arranged to guidesaid spindle andmanually operable to press the same down 'ardlyv and thereby to force Vsaid conductor into electrical connection` with said contacts. 4 v In a water gage, the combination with a source ot electric current; ot' a signaldevice connected with sa-idsourcc; a casing provided with a cock havingla movable plug member and with a -pair of contacts connected with said source andseparated electrically ironreach other by a gap; a malteand-break device mounted within said easing and adapted to bridge electrically the vice connected with saidl source; a casing having a part thereot acting as a test-lng de-A vice, and provided with afcock having a movable plug member and with a pair of contacts separated electrically trom each other by a gap and connected with said the combination" with l source; a make-and-break device mounted Within said casing; and a switch controlled by said plug member for interrupting the flow of current from said Source, when the cock is o en and for restoring the flow of current rom said source, when the cock is closed; said testing device bein arranged to force mid make-and-breakf .evice into eieetnical connection with said contacts to bridge vvelectrically the gap between the 10 latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

SIEGFRIED NEU-TRA.

-Witnesses:

JOHANN LUX,

ROBERT W. HEINUARTNER. 

